minimizing jetlag: shonna style

okay, so i don't get jetlag. it's my superpower, and it's pretty super. i don't mean to brag about it, but it's legit. and it makes traveling much easier. BUT i do think it's partially because i shift my sleep schedule and sleep on the plane, plus follow these MUST do tips below to ensure i can and will sleep when i need to and be awake when i need to.

here's how i do it: 

• get a neck pillow. it really really makes a difference. if you don't like carrying a fluffy one around (i don't), get an inflatable one, that's what i use and it works just fine. 
• get ear plugs, and wear them. they make a HUGE difference on airplanes. i recommend these ones. 
• get an eye mask. they fuck with the lights and people might have their shades open, it's a crazy world out there and you need to be able to regulate the light. i recommend this one. 
• take tylenol PM 30 min before you need to sleep. if you've tried it before and it sucked, try it again. if you've never tried it, just try it. i prefer this over melatonin. 
• make up a little pack with all this stuff, plus contact case, toothbrush and toothpaste and anything else you need to go to bed so you have everything ready to go and easily accessible. 
• skip meals if necessary if you need to sleep. bring snacks so if you wake up and you're hungry, you can eat. usually airlines are really nice about giving you food after food service if you wake up starving. just ask. 

once you arrive: 

• if you arrive at nighttime and you're not super tired, take tylenol pm
• once you arrive, don't think about what time it is at home. just don't do it! once you're in your new timezone, that's your new normal. same thing when you come home. 
• if you arrive in the morning and need to stay awake, take coffee/caffeine like normal. DO NOT TAKE IT PAST 1pm or you won't be able to fall asleep, which is critical to overcoming jetlag. actually, don't drink coffee when you arrive ever, unless it's in the morning. 
• if you wake up at a weird hour (i.e. 4am) and can't go back to sleep try to go back to sleep. do not check your phone, do not check emails, do not check social media. like don't pick up your phone. read a book if you must or put on your eye mask or put on some guided meditation, but don't get up. you need that 3+ extra hours of sleep to make the next few days bearable. 

here's the most important part: plan to adjust your sleep schedule about a day to half a day before your flight so you're set on the new timezone when you arrive.

EXAMPLES:

• my flight is at 12pm and i arrive the next day at 5pm. my flight is 13.5 hours. this means that i need to be tired when i arrive. i suggest a nap at the BEGINNING of your flight, so you can then stay awake the remaining part of your flight so you can sleep when you arrive. this is difficult, because who sleeps at 12pm? stay up late the night before or wake up early so you are tired and want to nap. if you try and stay awake the entire time it will be past 1am when you arrive and you'll be EXHAUSTED, and you'll need to stay awake for a few hours before you can sleep (i recommend going to sleep no earlier than 9pm)
• my flight is at 9:30am and i arrive the next day at 7:05pm. my flight is 17.5 hours long. same thing, you need to sleep during the first part of the flight so you will be tired when you arrive. this one is fucky because the flight is much longer and you fly out much earlier. same thing: plan to sleep at the beginning of the flight for 6 - 7 hours, and then stay awake the remaining 10 hours so you can sleep when you arrive. this will take more planning and very little sleep the night before so you're super tired at the beginning of the flight. if you don't plan this well, you'll be awake for the beginning of the flight then want to sleep the last part of the flight then be wide awake when you arrive. not good. 
• my flight is at 5:30pm and i arrive the next day at 11:50am. my flight is 10.5 hours. try and sleep on the 2nd half of the flight, from 5 - 7 hours. this one is pretty easy but you'll need to sleep earlier than normal. take a tylenol PM and/or don't get much sleep the night before so you'll be tired. if you take tylenol PM just make sure you take it a full 7 hours before you're arriving. once you arrive, have some coffee and then stay awake until it's time to go to bed, DO NOT NAP. 
• need a consult on when/how to sleep? contact me: shonnasommer@gmail.com

please note (i.e. my caveats):

• this works best when you're flying 9+ hours over majorly different timezones. 
• obviously this gets trickier if you don't have a direct flight. always try and get a direct flight. if not, you can still figure this out, you just may have to interrupt your sleep a little. 

hope this helps, happy traveling.